Air compressor systeme

NORTH-SHORE(CANADA) · #1 10-01-10, 23:33

Hi,
I am building a air compressor systeme anyone have suggestion

I did mind with copper i find this systeme on the net what do you think

the only think i change it to put a air gauge at the outlet one
and dimension is not the same but won't make a difference????

Phil Waterman · #2 11-01-10, 16:41

I've considered doing this in my shop over the years but one problem I have is occasionally the heat goes off in the shop and the temperature goes below freezing. This doesn't seem to bother flex airlines but I've heard it is a problem with hard tubing plastic, copper, or steel.

I see that you have installed drains at all the logical drop points which should help with getting the water out of the system at the end of the day.

What size id pipe are you planning to use?

I would suggest using ball valves as there is no pressure drop as found with other types of valves.

Yes add pressure gauges at outlet ends look for the type of filters that have a tap for the gauge after filter.

Look for water traps that have ball valves or replace the existing small twist type drain, small ball valves are so much easier to use, I added and extension to the drain on the bottom of the tank and a small ball valve much easier to drain the tank at the end of the day.

Have you bought your compressor? If not you might want to check some of the MLU threads on size of compressor for sand blasting if you plan to do much of that.

Another question I have is noise of the compressor, it drove me crazy. When I move my shop out of the garage into a purpose built barn (need something big enough for the C60S) I left the compressor in the garage and ran the compressor line under ground through 2" conduit to the barn no noise. I just fed large flex airline through the conduit. It has frozen a few times but the quick fix for that is stick the exhaust from the shop vacuum in the heat shop into the end of the conduit and in 10-15 minutes air starts flowing.

One last question/request- once you get the system installed do let us know how it works out.

Cheers Phil

Bob Carriere · #3 11-01-10, 17:42

Hi Eric

Your diagram covers the critical items..... have a lot of water drains.... in the humid Summer you will be draining daily.... Ball valves are best and as pointed out by Phil.....compressors are noisy....install it as far away as possible...... mine is in the attic of the barn..... and still noisy.... more thanonce it started automatically while I was standing next to it and made me jump like H**l.

There is some controversy with using copper pipes.... I resolved to the safe side and got some thread 1 inch ID steel pipes..... mind you we run our system at 150 pounds when driving with the 3/4 impact...puts out 920 FPT.

Steel pipe was bought precut and pre threaded from the local farm Coop store..

Make sure you have a good flex joint near your compressor tank or it will vibrate the whole shop....

Also make sure if you use a vertical tank that you have sufficient space for easy access to drain the tank as well..... in the Summer itis not unusual to drain half a gallon of oily water from the tank after a long session of sandblasting.

Good Luck

Boob

NORTH-SHORE(CANADA) · #4 11-01-10, 18:00

Hi Phil,
For the air systeme i use 1/2 coper pipe i don't have a noisy compressor but next year i will put it in my extention on my garage where is the spaire part!
I will put heat in next year! but i have to do my extention first

Here what it look like in my grage right now i did not use ball valfe that is wy i ave a slow leak!

NORTH-SHORE(CANADA) · #5 11-01-10, 22:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

Hi Eric

Your diagram covers the critical items..... have a lot of water drains.... in the humid Summer you will be draining daily.... Ball valves are best and as pointed out by Phil.....compressors are noisy....install it as far away as possible...... mine is in the attic of the barn..... and still noisy.... more thanonce it started automatically while I was standing next to it and made me jump like H**l.

There is some controversy with using copper pipes.... I resolved to the safe side and got some thread 1 inch ID steel pipes..... mind you we run our system at 150 pounds when driving with the 3/4 impact...puts out 920 FPT.

Make sure you have a good flex joint near your compressor tank or it will vibrate the whole shop....

Good Luck

Boob

Hi Bob
I put up to 135fpt and noting happend yet

but your right for the flex joint you dont want vibration in the systeme

and i was to cheap to go buy the ball valves i found 2 normal one in my father garage

and that mabe wy i losing 40fpt in like 2 at 3 hours whent i test it

but for the umidity i wonder if juste the water filter will be good for painting

thx

Alex Blair (RIP) · #6 12-01-10, 01:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by NORTH-SHORE(CANADA)

Hi Bob
I put up to 135fpt and noting happend yet

but your right for the flex joint you dont want vibration in the systeme

and i was to cheap to go buy the ball valves i found 2 normal one in my father garage

and that mabe wy i losing 40fpt in like 2 at 3 hours whent i test it

but for the umidity i wonder if juste the water filter will be good for painting

thx

Couple of points..As a licensed refrigeration mechanic and gas fitter I can offer you some tips with the piping

Using copper is ok,if you use type "L" or type "K"..high pressure and seamless..or ACR seamless refrigeration tubing..
I have personally put up to 1500 psi on these types of copper tubing ,using nitrogen ,so know from first hand experience that these grades of copper tubing will stand up for years of good use.

Type "M" copper,like plumbing copper found at Home depot has a seam in it and will rupture under higher pressure..
These letters are all ways printed on the copper pipe so you know what you are getting.
Use silfos, or silver solder(low temperature)..Install a drain on your storage tank..auto blowdowns are available...
Your air inlet on your compressor usually has an air filter on it..Take it off and pipe your air inlet outside and then re install your air filter outside..where it can draw relatively clean air..It doesn't matter how clean you try to keep your shop your air compressor will eventually draw in grit,paint fumes gasoline fumes and all sorts of obnoxious crap which will kill your compressor in no time..unless you pipe your air intake outside..Don't forget to put a vibration eliminator on your air inlet line..
Good luck..Install auto blowdowns on your drip legs and you are away..

cletrac (RIP) · #7 12-01-10, 02:07

I was thinking about using an air drier off a big truck. Your air lines never freeze up in the winter if you've got one so they're quite efficient. You'd want to have it exhaust outside though.
A lot of shops use ordinary copper water pipe for their air lines and don't have any problems. You never run over 150 psi anyway.
You don't want many couplers in the system either since they all tend to start leaking air after a few years.

NORTH-SHORE(CANADA) · #8 12-01-10, 02:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Blair

Use silfos, or silver solder(low temperature)..Install a drain on your storage tank..auto blowdowns are available...
Your air inlet on your compressor usually has an air filter on it..Take it off and pipe your air inlet outside and then re install your air filter outside..where it can draw relatively clean air..It doesn't matter how clean you try to keep your shop your air compressor will eventually draw in grit,paint fumes gasoline fumes and all sorts of obnoxious crap which will kill your compressor in no time..unless you pipe your air intake outside..Don't forget to put a vibration eliminator on your air inlet line..
Good luck..Install auto blowdowns on your drip legs and you are away..

Hi,
I did have one on my compressor and i did instal a auto blowdowns at the end of my systeme

went i install my regulator it came whit 2 gauge and a auto blowdowns it came frome a hold campbell compressor like the pic

Bob Carriere · #9 12-01-10, 02:57

...don't trust the water trap they sell..... yes they will remove water but on a hot humid day..... whenyou blow sandy dust from parts you can see the water spray coming out of the hand held blower.

If you are serious about doing quality gloss paint finish you will need to buy an air dryer..... sold at Princess for $100... $50 on sale..... they require reloading with large white dissecant pellets about $29......

BUT.... if 99% of your painting is going to be OD army flat paint you need not worry as long as you drain your pipes and tank regular...... and keep you rubber hose as short has possible.

I found that a long rubber hose stretched out on a cool cement floor on a hot humid summer day.......will condense water in the hose faster than in the tank. Where you live you are used to it but on a Summer day the humnidity level is higher than you would imagine.

Watch some of the specialty primers and epoxy paint the humidity actually hardens the paint faster and may ripple before is self levels on parts.

Have a beer with some of the body shop paint guys.... they can tell you tricks that will make it easier for you and may only apply to your climatic conditions....

Good luck and happy blowing..

Boob

Phil Waterman · #10 12-01-10, 18:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

....

I found that a long rubber hose stretched out on a cool cement floor on a hot humid summer day.......will condense water in the hose faster than in the tank. Where you live you are used to it but on a Summer day the humnidity level is higher than you would imagine....

Boob

About the long rubber hose condensing the water out I've actually taken a 100' air hose and coiled it in a trash can of water with 25 lbs of ice when the normal water traps were not doing the job, then connect it to the water trap after the chiller treatment, you need to open the drain on the trap a little to let it piss out the water, other wise it fills the trap real quick.

The trash can may be replace with a cooler so that you can keep your beer cold at the same time, but if you go that approach keep an eye on the ice, you don't want warm beer.

Another Comment - that having a longer length of pipe before the water trap actually works better than right at the compressor. It give the air a chance to cool so that trap can work better particularly the can types then desiccant type filter after that.

Cheers Phil

Phil Waterman · #11 12-01-10, 18:25

I've heard that plasma-cutters really don't like moisture. Most instructions I've seen strongly suggest a desiccant inline trap right at the unit. So that there are no hoses to have moisture in them.

Cheers Phil

Bob Carriere · #12 12-01-10, 22:15

We actually have two in the barn...... one permanently attached on the sandblasting cabinet and one on the wall by the main outlets which I can pipe my lines in for special painting or plasma use........

The hot Summer days are worst.... this time of the year the ambient air is fairly dry. With the compressor in the attic the first iron line goes down about 11 feet and has a tee followed by a ball valve and a 12 inch straight section that is capped. It is easy to open the tap and let the line water drip in the capped section.......close valve remove cap and drain. This is before the usual water trap which also needs regular draining of 3 to 4 ounces of water.....makes you wonder sometimes if the iron pipes are nto connected to the house well system....!!!!!! The worst accumulation of water remains in the tank itself.

What I would give for a sticky warm Summer day right now.....

Boob

NORTH-SHORE(CANADA) · #13 13-01-10, 12:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

Hi Eric

Also make sure if you use a vertical tank that you have sufficient space for easy access to drain the tank as well..... in the Summer itis not unusual to drain half a gallon of oily water from the tank after a long session of sandblasting.

Good Luck

Boob

Hi Bob,
I have a 7hp vertical comressor whit a 70gal tank it working great